


Dark, Dark Nights

by farquaad



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Power Outage, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-16 12:04:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18691123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farquaad/pseuds/farquaad
Summary: Dan wakes up from a nightmare only to find that the power is out.





	Dark, Dark Nights

Everything was white.

Dan was trapped in a completely white room. At least, he thought it was a room. There seemed to be no walls. No lights. No shadows. Just an endless expanse of empty liminal space.

As Dan wandered around for a bit, searching for a way out, he noticed the floor under him change texture. With each step he took, the surface under his feet changed. It felt like he was stepping on squishy foam, then on hard marble, then into a pool of water. The floor remained the same bleached white tone, but Dan was thrown off balance every time he took a step, left on edge and constantly guessing.

Dan was starting to sweat. He felt it begin to gather on his forehead and the palms of his hands. The more he explored his surroundings, the more maddening it got. He was sure he would never find a way out. The everchanging floor, the limitless white of the colorless room… oh god. Dan was going to die here.

The thought hit Dan like a ton of bricks, an uneasy weight settling in his stomach. He was knocked forward by the force of it, hunching over and trying not to fall.

Dan didn’t want to die, but he couldn’t find a way out. Where was he? How did he get here? Maybe he was already dead.

His head spun at the very idea of that, the sensation only adding to his newfound vertigo. He was starting to sweat more profusely now. His hair was getting damp and sticking repulsively to his forehead. It wasn’t just his anxiety this time. He was certain it was getting hotter and hotter in the room.

As the temperature rose, Dan got the overwhelming urge to rip off his clothes but as he tried to move his arms, he found they were too heavy, weighing him down like sandbags.

The temperature continued to increase. It was white hot, searing, scorching Dan’s skin. He felt like he was drowning and burning all at the same time. It hurt so much. He was sure he was going to-

Everything was dark.

Dan was still sweating and panting heavily but he realized that it was because he was awake. He was  _awake_. Sitting up in bed, not in any pain. Safe. It had only been a dream. Dan let out an audible sigh of relief.

“You okay?” The voice breaking the silence of the bedroom made Dan jump.

He was still taking in his surroundings when he turned to look at Phil. He had propped himself up a little next to Dan, eyebrows knitted with concern.

“I’m… good,” Dan said.

He tried to focus his eyes on his boyfriend but they kept going hazy and unfocused. His body must have been in a minor form of shock because his brain was muddled and his tongue felt heavy in his mouth.

“I’m sorry I didn’t wake you up. You were thrashing around and screaming and I didn’t know what to do,” Phil confessed.

After so many years of living together, nightmares were no big deal. However, Phil usually woke Dan up when he was having a nightmare and vice versa. Not that Dan could blame Phil for not waking him up. This particular nightmare was intense and he was sure it must have been intense for Phil to watch. If he had found Phil in the same position he was just in, Dan was sure he would be scared shitless too.

“’S okay,” Dan said and he meant it.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Phil asked.

Dan shivered at the thought of reliving his dream and goosebumps appeared on his arms. Or perhaps it was just the cool air hitting his sweat-soaked skin. Either way, Dan did  _not_ feel up to talking about it. He shook his head furiously.

“Alright. Is there anything I can do, then?” Phil asked gently.

Dan used to get a lot of nightmares back when he was on his antidepressants. It was just one of the side effects both he and Phil had learned to deal with. But sometimes Dan got… weird when he came out of his nightmares. It was as if he was still taking in his environment, trying to ground himself and reconnect with his body and the world around him. This was one of those times.

Cuddles usually helped Dan feel better, but now was not the time. His skin still felt tender from the torturous burning sensation in his dream. He knew that nothing had actually physically happened to him, but he still felt like skin-to-skin contact would be too overwhelming.

The only other thing Dan was able to focus on was the darkness of the room. How there was barely any light coming in through the blinds, how their bedroom was becoming formless, lost to the darkness and the shadows. Dan cringed at the haunting familiarity of it all.

“Um, maybe could you turn on the lamp?” Dan asked though he wasn’t looking at his boyfriend. He was sitting upright with his back to Phil. He didn’t want to have to face him right now. The one glance he took at Phil’s concerned features was already too much.

Dan heard Phil shuffle around in the bedsheets and then the familiar click of the lamp switch. The room didn’t get any brighter. Dan was beginning to panic. Was this another fucked up dream?

He heard another click. Then a few more in rapid succession. Phil sighed.

“I think the power’s out,” Phil announced.

While Dan was relieved that this wasn’t just another dream, he still felt very fragile and emotionally vulnerable. This night had been a rollercoaster of emotions and the power outage tipped him over the edge. He felt an inexplicable surge of emotions course through his body and all of a sudden he was leaning forward and crying into his hands. His shoulders were becoming tense and sore. He just wanted to sleep it but he was still on edge, still scared, still just _not right._

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here. Everything’s alright,” Phil said. Through his tears, Dan saw Phil sit up next to him. Phil turned on his phone and soon the harsh light of the screen was illuminating the room. Even though the brightness made Dan squint his eyes, it was better than complete darkness.

“Is it alright if I hold you?” Phil whispered.

Dan nodded. He decided he could use a little physical contact at the moment. Soon, Dan felt Phil’s arms wrap protectively around him.

“I love you,” Phil murmured and pressed a gentle kiss to Dan’s cheek. “I love you so much. You’re going to be okay.”

Dan allowed himself to be soothed by Phil’s words and eventually stopped sobbing. He titled his head to rest on Phil’s shoulder and closed his eyes, knowing that he was safe in Phil’s arms.

A few moments later, he felt Phil gently guide him down so he was fully laying down on the bed. Phil moved the duvet over both himself and Dan, quickly resuming the cuddling position.

“Are you okay?” Phil asked once more, playing with a curly strand of Dan’s hair.

“I think so. Just exhausted,” Dan replied.

“Get some rest, then. We’ll sort everything else out tomorrow.”

“I really really love you, you know? Thank you for taking care of me,” Dan mumbled.

“Always, love. Now get some sleep.”

Dan felt Phil plant one last kiss on his forehead and then he was breathing steadily and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos make my day! and reblogs on tumblr make my fics go 'round. [you can reblog my fic by clicking this link.](https://farquaadphillywrites.tumblr.com/post/184636418870/dark-dark-nights) ilu!


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